Aftermath
by Girl on Fire
Summary: In life, Karen Angle tried to protect the man she loved, be a good mother, and seek revenge against her estranged husband. Being dead hasn't changed a thing.
1. The Lady in Red

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone from either TNA or the show _Ghost Whisperer_.

RATING: T (Language, violence, references to adult situations, and character death.)

PAIRING: Karen Angle/AJ Styles

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Fiction and reality are somewhat blurred in this story.

"I never thought of you as the wrestling fan type," Melinda Gordon remarked as she sat in the audience with Professor Rick Payne, a good yet quirky friend of hers. Going to a TNA event was a favor to him and not something she planned to make a habit of. Try as she might, she simply couldn't understand the appeal of wrestling.

Rick shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?"

Melinda smirked. "You owe me big time for this."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise. I might even buy _you_ food for a change."

"Seriously?" Melinda raised an eyebrow and tried to think of even one time the professor had paid for anything edible.

"No!"

She lightly punched him in the arm and settled down to enjoy the show as best as she could.

It was difficult, though, because a wrestler by the name of AJ Styles was being bloodied by someone named Tomko—who, Rick had informed her, was AJ's former tag team partner and a current enemy. Melinda cringed. It didn't matter that wrestling was fake. She would take a ghost over blood any day of the week.

And speaking of spirits…A beautiful brunette in a long red dress had appeared at ringside without warning. She slipped into the ring and knelt beside AJ, cradling his head in her hands. When Tomko reached for AJ, the woman put herself between them protectively.

"Stay away from him!" she screamed at the heavily tattooed wrestler. "I won't let you hurt him ever again!"

Tomko tried—unsuccessfully—to get to AJ a few more times before giving up. He wore a bewildered expression as he walked away. The fans were equally confused and unusually quiet. To them, it must have appeared that Tomko had a sudden change of heart.

Melinda's attention was focused elsewhere. She watched the woman, who was now sobbing, try to revive AJ. Who was she? Melinda wondered. A fan turned stalker? Another TNA employee? A lover, perhaps?

AJ slowly sat up and wiped the blood out of his eyes. He looked directly at the brunette to his right, as if he, too, could see her, then staggered to his feet. The spirit followed him backstage, still tearful but apparently relieved that the damage hadn't been worse.

"I just saw a ghost," Melinda confided to Rick. "A woman. She was trying to help that AJ guy."

"Yes!" Rick was pleased and, apparently, not the least bit surprised by her news. "If I were a betting man, I would be filthy rich right now."

"Wait a minute. Your friend didn't have other plans, did he? I bet you never invited anyone else, because you _knew_ there was an earthbound spirit here all along!"

He smiled sheepishly. "Guilty as charged." Then, in a more serious tone, he added, "Strange things have been happening on the show ever since Karen Angle's death. Technical problems, people acting out of character…It always happens whenever AJ Styles or Kurt Angle has a match. Coincidence? I think not."

She gave him a description of the spirit. "Does that sound like Karen?"

"That's her, all right."

"Tell me more about her."

"Well, Karen was married to Kurt, but she fell in love with AJ. Rumor is, they had an affair. Of course, they both claimed they were just friends, and it was only a storyline, but—"

"How did she die?" Melinda wondered if the storyline had indeed become reality. That would certainly explain Karen's concern over AJ's condition.

"She was in a car accident about a month ago…Hey, are you hungry? We could grab a bite to eat on the way home. Your treat, of course."

_A car accident. Not murder_. She eliminated Kurt as a suspect in his wife's death, ashamed at herself for jumping to conclusions.

Melinda got to see the infamous Kurt Angle in the main event. Bald, muscular, and serious—and an Olympic Gold medalist, according to Rick—he was the complete opposite of AJ Styles, who had boyish good looks and wore a crown to the ring.

Karen reappeared at ringside shortly after the match began. Even from a distance, Melinda noticed the look of pure hatred on the ghost's pretty face. Ten minutes later, the lights flickered and went out briefly. When they came back on, Kurt was down and his opponent, Samoa Joe, took advantage of the situation and pinned him. The referee's hand slapped the mat three times. Kurt wouldn't be getting his championship belt back tonight.

Karen stood over Kurt and laughed. There was no mistaking the pleasure she got from her husband's loss.

"Murderer!" she shrieked. "I'm going to ruin your life the way you ruined mine!"

A stunned Melinda turned to Rick. "I thought you said Karen died in a car accident."

"She did. I read her obituary on the Internet. TNA Wrestling dot com: Your one-stop source for everything TNA—and not just the Knockout division."

"Then why did she just accuse her husband of murder?"


	2. Accident or Murder?

Melinda had a feeling that Karen would be with AJ, and, sure enough, she was keeping him company while he signed autographs outside the arena. The only indication that he'd been injured was a bandage on his forehead.

The ghost noticed Melinda staring at her. "Can you see me?" she asked hesitantly. When the other woman nodded, she looked visibly relieved. "Thank God!" She made her way through the crowd and stood in front of Melinda, who was careful to keep her voice down. One had to be discreet when talking to earthbound spirits in public.

"Karen?"

"Yes? Are you a fan?"

"Not exactly…My name is Melinda Gordon. I want to help you—"

Karen laughed coldly and tossed her hair. "Well, it's a little late for that. I'm already dead."

"It's never too late," Melinda insisted. As she talked, Karen turned back to AJ with a sad smile. "You really loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes," whispered Karen. She met Melinda's gaze again and wiped away the tears with a perfectly manicured finger. "I still do. AJ was my Prince Charming. He was everything I wanted in a man—everything my husband wasn't. Cute, sensitive, funny…He treated me like a goddess." Karen's demeanor suddenly changed and a scowl crept across her face. "Yes, I had an affair, and, no, I don't care what you think of me."

"I'm not judging you," Melinda said in what she hoped was a reassuring tone. She couldn't let her own feelings and opinions get in the way of winning Karen's trust.

"My marriage was on the rocks," Karen explained, "and AJ was there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on. One thing led to another and we fell in love, but Kurt refused to get a divorce."

"Because he still loved you?"

More laughter. "Are you kidding me? The only person Kurt loves is himself!" Karen shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. "He was just too proud to admit defeat. In his world, failure isn't an option." She snorted. "Kurt's such a hypocrite. When he cheated on me, he blamed it on a mid-life crisis. But, when _I_ cheated on _him_, he called me a backstabbing slut! Asshole."

"There's something I wanted to ask you." Karen arched an eyebrow suspiciously. "I was told that you died in a car accident, but, when you were in the ring with Kurt tonight, I heard you call him a murderer. Which is it, Karen?"

Karen stood up straight and gave Melinda an icy glare. "My death was no accident. I _know_ that Kurt did something to my car…I think he cut the brakes. He swore that AJ and I would pay for our sins, and, a week later, my car crashed into a tree. Some coincidence!" She stole another glance at AJ and her tone softened. "AJ was with me at the time. It's a miracle that he only suffered minor injuries."

Melinda's mind raced with possibilities. Was a bitter Karen trying to frame her husband for her death? Or had Kurt, in a fit of jealous rage, set up his wife and her new lover in hopes of killing them both?

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"Well, I—"

"My husband did everything he could to put us through hell. Maybe he ran out of options." Karen disappeared, leaving Melinda to face AJ alone.


	3. Lingering Feelings

Only when the last autograph had been signed and the last picture snapped did Melinda approach AJ. It was clear that he was just going through the motions. She hoped she could bring some closure to the grieving wrestler.

"Hi. AJ?"

The man's listless blue eyes suddenly widened with shock. "Whoa!" He took a step back and studied Melinda, who frowned in confusion.

"What is it?"

AJ ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably and looked away. "Oh, nothing. It's just that…Well, you look like a friend of mine."

Like Karen, she thought. They both had long, wavy brown hair, dark eyes, a slender build, and they even appeared to share a taste for elegant clothing.

"Sorry. Do you want an autograph or something?"

He _was_ cute, Melinda mused, and that southern accent was charming. No wonder Karen had fallen for him.

"Actually, I need to talk to you about Karen Angle." AJ's head snapped up upon hearing Karen's name. "I'm sure this must be difficult for you, but—"

"No, it's okay. Really." He tried to offer her a smile but didn't quite succeed. Nothing he did could mask that amount of pain. "I was just surprised, that's all. Nobody talks to me about Karen."

"Maybe they don't know what to say," Melinda suggested.

"They act like she never even existed, but she's still here. I just know it." AJ took one look at Melinda's expression and turned red. "Sorry. I'll shut up. I'm probably freaking you out—"

"No, you're not." Melinda was grateful for his honesty, because he just made her job a lot easier. "I believe you, AJ."

"_Really_?" he squeaked in disbelief. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open before he regained composure.

She nodded. "I believe you because I can see earthbound spirits—ghosts—and I saw Karen tonight. She helped you during your match."

"I know. She's done that a couple of times." For a brief second, AJ's face lit up. "I can't see Karen like you can, but sometimes I'll feel her touch me or smell her favorite perfume." His eyes had started watering and he blinked. "Did…Did you get to talk to her?"

"Yes." Melinda cleared her throat. She was nervous about discussing the crash—and not just because it might further traumatize AJ. Bringing up Karen's murder theory could seriously backfire on everyone involved. It wasn't hard to imagine AJ putting his own life at risk in order to seek revenge on Kurt, the man who had—allegedly—killed his beloved Karen.

"Well? What'd she say?" AJ's eager words cut into Melinda's worried thoughts and brought her back to the present moment.

"She said she loves you very much," she told him, then added, "Karen feels guilty about the accident, AJ. She couldn't stand to leave you behind, which is why she decided not to cross over." Melinda's story was mostly truth with just enough fiction mixed in to protect the innocent.

"But it's not her fault!" AJ blurted out.

"I don't think she knows what really happened. But, if you tell me, I'll pass the message on to her."

"I-I can't remember much from that night."

"Just tell me what you _do_ remember. Please…For Karen's sake."

"All right," AJ agreed reluctantly. "Karen and I met up in the hotel lobby after a show, then we went out to a late dinner. She insisted on driving 'cause I was doped up on painkillers for an injury." He groaned. "I should have been driving. _I_ should have died—not Karen."

"Oh, AJ…"

"It started raining real hard on the way home. I think I fell asleep, because the last thing I remember was hearing Karen scream." AJ swallowed hard. His voice trembled when he spoke. "I woke up in a hospital. At first, no one would tell me anything about Karen's condition. They just said we'd been in a bad car accident and I was lucky to be alive."

A few tears had spilled over onto his cheeks. "But I kept asking about her, because I knew something was wrong. Eventually, the doctor told me that Karen had lost control of the car and hit a tree. She died instantly."

Melinda was having a hard time controlling her own emotions. "I'm so sorry."

"Karen and I had plans for the future," he said wistfully. "We wanted to get married and buy a house in the country. I was even going to adopt her kids. But those were just dreams, because we both knew Kurt would never let her go."

"Kurt sounds like a real jerk."

AJ sighed. "You have no idea. He beat me up every chance he got, sometimes with the help of other people. I can't count the number of times I got stitches because of him. And he called Karen all kinds of awful names—names I won't repeat. He even insulted their five-year-old daughter on national television! Can you believe that?"

Melinda took a moment to process everything he'd confessed to her. She had to admit that Kurt had a lot of strikes against him. Emotionally abusive, controlling, jealous…Throw in his discovery of the affair and it was an explosive combination.

Then again, she hadn't spoken to Kurt. She hadn't heard his side of the story, and, motive aside, there was no evidence linking him to Karen's death.

Still…

"Hey, Melinda?" AJ waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention. "I've gotta go, but I need you to tell Karen something."

"Anything."

"Tell her I'm glad she decided to stick around. I honestly don't think I could go on without her."

She felt a knot form in her stomach. Convincing Karen to go into the Light would be hard enough, but AJ, in his grief, wasn't making things easier. Melinda would need to have a long talk with both of them.

Just not tonight.


	4. Payback

Kurt Angle stretched out on the bed in his luxury hotel suite and sipped a glass of champagne. His attempt at relaxing did little to take the edge off his anger.

Couldn't TNA's creative team do _anything_ right lately? Those morons had neglected to inform him of all the last-minute script changes and made him look like a fool. He didn't mind losing face now and then to help an up-and-comer, but this was absurd.

Although, to be fair, he had taken liberties with some of the storylines without telling the powers that be…

Attacking AJ Styles _had_ been part of the show, but Kurt used more force than necessary. He'd let his friends in on the secret and encouraged them to torture the "home wrecking bastard." Jim Cornette, oblivious to AJ's actual suffering and delighted with the ratings, sat back and did nothing to stop the carnage.

Insulting Karen came naturally to him, too. The consummate actress literally became the whore she portrayed. He knew that his words and the brutality AJ endured hurt her more than his fist ever could.

They got what they deserved, he reasoned. Karen would spend eternity in Hell and AJ would be miserable for the rest of his life. Perfect.

He saw movement in the corner of his eye and glanced at the window. The thick velvet curtains whipped around as if being hit by hurricane-strength winds.

Kurt frowned. He must have opened the window earlier, although he didn't remember doing so. Then again, it had been a long night and he _was_ tired…Muttering under his breath, he forced himself to get up and shut the window—only to discover that it wasn't open.

"That's weird…" Kurt checked the air conditioner, too, but it was turned off, as was the ceiling fan. "What the hell is going on?" He had no idea that his wife was standing right behind him.

"This is only the beginning," she whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver. How could the room be so cold on such a hot summer night?

He gulped and sat down on the bed again. If he didn't know better, he would've sworn that Karen was messing with him from beyond the grave. But ghosts, like vampires and Santa Claus, weren't real.

There had to be a rational explanation…Kurt shrugged off the incident, grabbed his pajamas and toothbrush, and marched towards the bathroom. This was nothing a good night's rest couldn't cure, he decided.

Karen anticipated his actions and tripped him before he could reach his destination. Kurt cried out as he struck the bathroom door headfirst and collapsed to the floor. Blood ran from his nose and trickled across his lips.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed in between spitting.

"No, just your bitch of a wife," Karen answered sweetly. "Wasn't that one of your pet names for me, Kurt?" She noticed the blood and smirked. "Oh, poor baby! Did you break your nose? Too bad you didn't break your _neck_!"

Meanwhile, Kurt placed a hand gingerly to his head, feeling around for a goose egg. Nothing yet, aside from a splitting headache, but he would look like hell come morning. He dreaded explaining the injury to his coworkers.

Kurt dizzily stumbled to his feet and made his way into the bathroom. After pressing a ball of wadded toilet paper to his nose, he checked out the damage in the mirror. The skin across his forehead had already started turning a disturbing shade of purple.

Seconds later, he gasped in horror and agony as bloody scratch marks appeared on his reflection. His right cheek had been gouged deeply, like some wild cat had dug its claws into his flesh.

"Stop it, Karen!" The words left his mouth automatically. He couldn't think of a logical explanation this time, and it terrified him.

"You can't tell me what to do, Kurt." Karen was behind him again, her lips curled into a malevolent smirk. "You never could."

He whirled around, expecting to hear something or catch a glimpse of his wife, but nothing happened. Kurt's heart pounded like a drum.

"I'm dead because of you!" she screamed. Her fury resulted in an exploding mirror. Glass rained down over the entire bathroom. Kurt shielded his face, but his unprotected scalp was grazed by the shards. "For the first time in years, I was happy, and you took that away from me! I'll never forgive you for what you did!"

"What do you want from me?" Kurt demanded. On the inside, he was trembling like a leaf, but, damn it, he was the best wrestler in TNA! A man like him shouldn't be frightened by some dead woman!

"I want you to suffer, you heartless bastard! I want you to suffer the way AJ did—the way _I_ did."

"You want to haunt me? Go ahead." Kurt was feeling pretty confident at the moment. He knew exactly how to solve the Karen problem once and for all. "But, I'm warning you, I'll hurt your precious AJ if you keep it up. You won't even recognize him when I'm through!"

"You've already hurt him more than you'll ever know," Karen murmured, eyes downcast. But she vanished, just as Kurt had assumed she would.

Payback really is a bitch, he thought darkly.


	5. In Denial

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The town where Melinda lives, Grandview, is fictional, and it's not really clear which state it's supposed to be in. However, I read a persuasive argument in favor of New York, so that's where Grandview will be set in this story. It works out better for the plot, anyway, since Kurt lives in Pittsburgh.

"Oh, no! It's happened already. You've turned into a wrestling fan."

"Have not," Melinda retorted, her eyes glued to the laptop. After Professor Payne dropped her off, she'd gone online to do some research. She was currently watching a video montage of Karen and AJ's onscreen—and perhaps real life—relationship.

Her husband, Jim, placed his hands on her shoulders and watched with her. "Is that your ghost?"

She nodded. "I keep wondering when the lines began to blur. When did an innocent storyline turn into an actual affair?" Onscreen, AJ planted a kiss on a "surprised" Karen. "You know, Karen believes that Kurt murdered her, and, I have to admit, she makes a pretty compelling case. Neither she nor AJ had one good word to say about him."

"Most guys would go off the deep end if they found out their wife was cheating on them."

"True, but most guys don't react so violently. From what AJ told me, Kurt actually used the storylines to take out his frustrations on AJ and Karen. In other words, he wasn't acting anymore."

"But if he really wanted her dead, don't you think Kurt would've used a different method? There was a chance Karen could have survived."

"Good point." She skimmed yet another article on Karen's death. The crash had taken place in Miami around ten-thirty at night, but there wasn't much new information aside from that. Everything she read indicated that it was a tragic accident and nothing more. "This is so frustrating," she complained with a yawn. "I can't find any proof that Kurt was involved, but I owe it to Karen to investigate."

Jim lightly kissed her on the top of the head. "Tomorrow. Right now, you need your sleep. You can't help anyone—dead or alive—if you're exhausted."

"I'll be up in just a minute. I promise." She waited until she could no longer hear her husband's footsteps on the stairs, then scribbled down the officers' names and a phone number for the Miami Police Department. Contacting law enforcement was always risky, but sometimes it was the only way to get the information she needed.

She went to the official TNA web site and was relieved to see that there was another date scheduled for New York and, a few days later, there would be shows in Pittsburgh—where Karen used to live with Kurt—and Philadelphia. Although she could still get tickets to any of the events, what Melinda really needed was a backstage pass. She got the impression that Kurt was a hard guy to track down, and this might be the only way to speak to him. But how could she possibly…

Melinda suddenly remembered the crumpled paper in her pocket. Before he left, AJ had jotted down his cell phone number "just in case." It was a big favor to ask on such a short notice, but, then again, she was doing this for Karen—and she knew there was nothing AJ wouldn't do for Karen Angle.

* * *

"What did you do to Kurt?"

AJ frowned at the short blond man who had just run up to them backstage. "What are you talking about, JB?"

Jeremy Borash looked puzzled. "You mean you didn't do it? Everybody's saying you did. Kurt's got a lump the size of Texas on his forehead and scratch marks on his face."

"No, I didn't—but I wish I had,' AJ snapped. "Excuse me." He guided Melinda away from the other man.

"Hey, wait up! Aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?" JB yelled after them.

"Who was that?" Melinda asked, but she was more interested in Kurt's injuries. Ghosts were capable of inflicting harm on the living, and it wasn't hard to imagine Karen raking her nails down Kurt's face, laughing at his pain.

"JB. I guess you could call him a friend of mine."

"Oh. Okay..."

He glanced at her. "Karen did that, didn't she?"

"I think so."

"He deserved it," AJ said matter-of-factly. They walked around for a few minutes, stopping only to greet some of the other wrestlers.

"I need to use the restroom," she told him when impatience finally got the better of her. "Do you know where they are?" She felt a twinge of guilt over lying to him, but she knew he'd insist on accompanying her to visit Kurt. If anything happened to AJ because of her, she'd never forgive herself—and neither would Karen.

"Over there, by the lockers." He pointed and Melinda gave him a grateful smile in return.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere."

"I won't."

It was easy to find Kurt's dressing room once she reached the locker room area. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and knocked.

Silence.

"Kurt?" she called out, but there was no response. Part of Melinda was relieved. She hadn't been looking forward to meeting him after what she'd heard. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a note pad and pen from her purse, wrote a note, and slid it under the door. It included her own cell phone number and read, _I know that Karen is haunting you. I can help._

The door swung open just as Melinda turned to leave. She got a good look at the damage…and at Kurt's bad side.

"I don't know who you are or how you got backstage, but you're crazy." He lowered his voice. "Even if ghosts _do_ exist, I'm not being haunted and I don't need or want your help. Understand?"

"But—"

"Go away!" He slammed the door in her face, leaving no room for argument.

Shaken, Melinda started back down the long hallway. She froze in her tracks when she realized that AJ was waiting for her. To her surprise, he didn't appear to be angry, although she couldn't read his expression.

"I would say you got lost," he said quietly, "but I think you knew exactly where you were going."


	6. Never Again

"I thought you were going to stay put," Melinda answered lightly as they left the locker room area together.

"I had a feeling you were gonna look for Kurt," AJ replied, "so I followed you. I didn't want you getting into trouble."

"I'm sorry for lying to you, AJ, but I had to talk to him." Although her intentions were good, Melinda was genuinely remorseful. She hadn't meant to give AJ one more thing to stress over.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to see for myself what he's like. It's very important that I get everyone's side of the story. Besides, I don't know Kurt, and it's only fair that I hear him out…"

"I guess." AJ looked away uncomfortably. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I wouldn't worry too much," she muttered. "Kurt doesn't want anything to do with me."

"He's right, you know." Melinda spun around at the sound of Karen's voice. "Kurt's dangerous."

"I need to speak to you," Melinda hissed at Karen. "Alone."

She shrugged. "Meet me in the ladies' room."

"What is it? Is Karen here?"

"She was." Melinda bit her lip. "I hate to do this to you again, but I have to go. Karen and I need to discuss something—in private. We'll be in the women's restroom. You can wait outside the door if you like."

AJ blushed. "No. It's cool."

* * *

To her disappointment, Melinda walked in on two women fixing their hair and checking their makeup. Both were blondes, but one had black and pink streaks in her hair.

Karen, who was leaning against the wall, rolled her eyes at the two.

"I used to be like them," she said to Melinda, "but AJ gave me a new perspective on life."

Seconds later, the other women flounced out of the bathroom, but not before looking Melinda over and sneering at her. She locked the door behind them and faced Karen again.

"I know that you attacked Kurt," she began. "I saw what you did to his face. And you have every right to hate him, but this _has_ to stop."

"Well, you got your wish."

"What are you talking about?"

Karen shook her head in disgust. "Kurt swore he'd give AJ the beating of a lifetime if I didn't leave him alone. I love AJ too much to take that kind of risk." Her eyes searched Melinda's beseechingly. "But you can help me get revenge. Prove that Kurt killed me. Find a way to put him behind bars, where he can't hurt anyone ever again."

"I _will_ help you, Karen, but I can't promise you those things." She hesitated. "Did you ever consider that Kurt might be innocent?"

"He's not," Karen snapped.

"I'm not saying that Kurt's a good guy," Melinda quickly pointed out. "But I'm not sure that you're telling the truth, either."

"Obviously, you don't know Kurt the way I do." Karen clenched her fists and glared at Melinda, outraged. "Did you know that Kurt forced me to watch as he and his friends beat the hell out of AJ? They left him lying in the ring in a pool of his own blood! He also called my parents and told them I was whoring myself out to the entire locker room. Oh, and he told our children that I was in Hell with all the other bad mommies who broke their husbands' hearts." Tears streamed down her face. "Kurt used to be my best friend, but he became my worst nightmare. That man is psychotic."

Neither one said a word for what seemed like an eternity. It was a lot to process, and Melinda still had no idea whether Karen was lying, telling the truth, or simply mistaken. Hopefully, she could persuade the Miami Police Department to give her the answer so Karen could move on.

"I will do everything I can to find out what happened," Melinda assured the other woman, "but you won't be at peace until you go into the Light—"

"No!" She shook her head wildly, her voice taking on a shrill tone. "I won't leave AJ and my kids! Never again."

Melinda glanced around the otherwise empty bathroom and sighed. Nothing was as it seemed in the wrestling world, but at least she knew how her battles with stubborn ghosts always ended.


	7. The Truth Comes Out

"Melinda? Are you okay?" Delia Banks, her friend and an employee at Melinda's antique shop, Same As It Never Was, studied her closely.

"I'm fine." Melinda stopped pacing the floor and gave Delia her best impression of a smile. "I'm just a little distracted, that's all."

"By a ghost?"

"Yes and no." She was a bundle of nerves because it was three in the afternoon and neither of the two officers who had investigated Karen's crash—Tony Vasquez and John Martin—had returned her calls. "Don't worry—there aren't any ghosts here right now."

"Look, I know I'm not the most open-minded person when it comes to earthbound spirits, but you're my friend and I'm worried about you. I think I deserve to know what's going on."

"You're right, Delia. I'm sorry." Melinda took a seat behind the counter and started from the beginning. "Okay, here goes. Professor Payne invited me to a wrestling event the other night—yes, wrestling," she added, seeing the shock written on Delia's face. "He thought the company was haunted and it turns out that he was right."

"Are you telling me there's a dead wrestler out there who refuses to move on?"

"Actually, Karen was a manager. She was married to one of their top superstars, though, and in love with another wrestler…It's complicated. Anyway, I need to find out if Karen's death was an accident or murder. That's one of the reasons why she won't go into the Light."

Delia still looked skeptical, but she nodded as if she believed every word. "I know that Ned's old enough to make his own decisions, but I'm glad he never got into wrestling. It's too violent for my liking."

"Same here," Melinda agreed, although she thought the real violence inflicted on AJ, Kurt, and Karen eclipsed anything written into a storyline. She did, however, hope that her future children wouldn't become fans, either.

The subject changed many times over the next half hour, as Melinda and Delia made small talk to pass the time in between customers. It didn't take long for Delia to notice that Melinda was eyeing the clock every few minutes.

"You didn't tell me the rest of the story."

"The rest?" Melinda blinked, confused. She thought she'd done a good job of summarizing. Delia didn't need to know every single detail.

"You can start by telling me why you can't take your eyes off that clock."

"I'm waiting for an important phone call. It has something to do with Karen." She drummed her fingernails on the counter while she waited. It occurred to her that the officers didn't have an obligation to contact her. Her message was so vague that they might not even bother calling back. Worse yet, what if they thought she was crazy or pulling a prank? She couldn't afford to get on the bad side of the law.

"Someone she knew?"

"You could say that." Melinda was reluctant to tell Delia the whole truth. She got the impression the older woman might not approve of her getting the police involved in a case that revolved around a ghost. Then again, they sometimes worked with psychics to bring justice to murder victims…Of course, Delia probably didn't have a high opinion of psychics, either.

"Melinda…"

As if on cue, a familiar ring tone broke the awkward silence.

"Can you watch the store? I have to take this." Melinda gratefully scooped up her cell phone and dashed into the back room. "Hello?"

"Is this Melinda Gordon?" inquired a male voice.

Her heart leaped into her throat. "Yes."

"This is Officer Vasquez of the Miami Police Department. May I ask why you contacted me? Most people don't ask for me specifically unless it's about one of my cases."

"It is." Melinda paused. "Do you remember a woman named Karen Angle?"

"Yeah, I do. She died last month. Why?"

He sounded suspicious. She had to tread carefully. "I know this is going to sound crazy, Officer Vasquez, but please listen to what I have to say." No response. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Either way, there was no turning back now. "I have the ability to talk to earthbound spirits, and I saw Karen's ghost."

"You _what_?" he sputtered.

"I met her at a wrestling show a few nights ago in Grandview, New York. Karen told me that her death wasn't an accident." There was no need to mention Kurt by name until she knew for certain that Karen had been murdered.

"Ms. Gordon, you're not the first 'psychic' we've been contacted by," Officer Vasquez replied irritably. "How do I know that you're not just making this up? I don't have time to waste on attention seekers."

Although Melinda was hurt by his words, she was also sympathetic. She knew that con artists often came out of the woodwork to offer assistance on high profile cases, and she intended to prove that she wasn't one of them.

"Karen was wearing a long red dress and red high heeled sandals when she died. But, if you watch a tape of the TNA show from that night, you'll see that she had on a sleeveless purple top, black pants, and black sandals earlier." Melinda was grateful that Professor Payne had loaned her the correctly labeled tape. "Also, before the crash, Karen met AJ—I mean, Allen Jones—in the hotel lobby and they went out to eat. I'm not sure which hotel they stayed at or which restaurant they went to, but I could ask Karen and get back to you. Maybe there's some surveillance footage."

The silence on the other end of the line was unnerving. Melinda was dying to know if she had managed to convince Officer Vasquez.

"If you don't believe me, contact Detective David Campbell of the Grandview Police Department. He'll be more than happy to confirm what I've said about communicating with spirits. I can give you his number if you like—"

"Actually, I _do_ believe you, Ms. Gordon. You're a very persuasive individual." She guessed that he was smiling. "Now that we've got that straightened out, what were you saying earlier about Mrs. Angle's death?"

"Karen insists that she was murdered. She thinks someone tampered with her brakes. But I keep hearing that she died in an accident."

"It was a tragic accident, nothing more. The roads were slick with rain. She lost control of her vehicle, went off the road, and slammed into a tree. We investigated, of course, but there was nothing to indicate foul play. As a matter of fact, the only damage occurred when she crashed."

"You have no idea how much you've helped me—and Karen," Melinda told him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Maybe now the poor woman can finally rest in peace."

Melinda wasn't so sure about that, but at least she was one step closer to achieving that particular goal.


	8. Revenge and Regrets

Her first day in Pennsylvania was turning out to be a disaster—and Melinda hadn't even talked to Karen yet.

She hadn't slept much the night before, tormented by nightmares she couldn't remember, and made the drive to Pittsburgh on little sleep and even less food. Then, as soon as she entered the venue, people started staring and whispering. AJ had introduced Melinda to the others as a friend, but hadn't he said that about Karen, too? It didn't help that he wouldn't let her out of his sight.

If only she could stand up on a chair and say, "Hey, everybody, I'm just here to help Karen Angle's ghost!" without being laughed out of the building.

She was desperate to lose AJ for a few minutes so she could have a private conversation with Karen. If he overheard her mention Kurt or say the word "murder"…Well, she didn't want to even _think_ about the possible consequences for him.

Melinda's heart rate sped up as Karen made her way through the crowd towards her. She couldn't have picked a worse time for a confrontation.

"Distract him," she whispered to the ghost through clenched teeth, jerking her head ever so slightly in AJ's direction.

Karen nodded and went over to Jay Reso—better known as Christian Cage, another onscreen enemy of AJ's but also one of his true friends. She whispered something in his ear. Melinda knew that Jay couldn't hear her, but he would nonetheless be influenced subconsciously by Karen's suggestion. And, sure enough, he and AJ were deep in conversation seconds later, allowing Melinda to make her getaway.

She followed Karen into an abandoned hallway. Karen's aloof expression from earlier had melted into a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. "Did you find out anything?"

"Yes, I did. I talked to an Officer Vasquez in Miami. He was at the scene of your…crash." Melinda took a deep breath before continuing. "Your death was an accident, Karen. They couldn't find any proof—"

"An accident? An _accident_?" Karen screamed. "Don't you get it? That's exactly what Kurt wants everyone to think! He had every reason to want AJ and me dead, and now he's going to get away with murder." Her eyes watered, but her face was contorted in rage. "Damn it! I thought you were on my side."

"You have to stop blaming him for what happened! Kurt had nothing to do with this," Melinda argued, trying to ignore Karen's accusation. "The police did their job and now it's time to do yours and enter the Light. Please," she added as an afterthought.

"To hell with you and your stupid Light!" As if on cue, the fluorescent lighting above flickered threateningly. Karen folded her arms across her chest defiantly. "I guess I'll just have to take matters into my own hands."

"No!" To Melinda's horror, the outraged spirit vanished before the cry escaped her lips. She knew without a doubt where Karen was, and she had to get there before it was too late. Forgetting all about AJ, she raced out of the hall in search of Kurt's dressing room.

* * *

One of the things Karen liked about being a ghost was how easily she could torture Kurt. He couldn't see her coming, couldn't hear her or know she was even there until she attacked. It delighted her to see her husband, the big, strong Olympic gold medalist and former champion, so defenseless.

No matter what Melinda said, Karen knew in her heart that Kurt was responsible for her death. He had made it perfectly clear that neither she nor AJ would get away with betraying him, and, although AJ survived, he was emotionally dead without her. In a way, the bastard had succeeded in getting what he wanted yet again. Well, not anymore.

Tonight, Kurt was going to find out what dying felt like.

She merely had to choose a location and she was transported there instantly. Rage bubbled up inside her as she found herself in Kurt's dressing room looking down on him. Ever the workaholic, he was on the floor doing sit-ups.

"Ninety-eight…Ninety-nine…One hundred!" he panted. Instead of lying down, however, Kurt remained in an upright position. He wiped beads of sweat off his forehead, tugged at his shirt collar, and glanced around the room nervously. Karen's presence and hot temper had caused the room temperature to increase dramatically. "Get out of here, Karen!" His order was delivered a bit shakily and didn't intimidate her in the slightest.

"Make me." She moved so that she was standing directly in front of him, blocking his path should he try to escape.

"It's over between us. You had your chance and you blew it." He smirked cruelly. "Move on, Karen. Everyone else has…Even your beloved AJ."

"Liar! AJ's still in love with me," she insisted. His heart belonged to Karen and hers belonged to him.

"I heard he's screwing that psychic," Kurt continued in a casual, almost bored tone. "What's her name? Melissa? Melinda? She's exactly his type—dark-haired and married. I bet she'd abandon _her_ family for him, too—"

"I'll _kill_ you!" She knew he was just trying to upset her, and it worked better than he could have imagined. An enraged Karen interrupted Kurt by shoving him to the floor and wrapping her hands around his throat. His eyes bulged and he thrashed around, clawing at his invisible assailant. The more he gasped for air, the tighter she squeezed.

"You murdered me. You tried to kill AJ. You left our children without a mother." Karen, feeding off of Kurt's terror and her own anger, was growing stronger by the second. "Now it's _my_ turn to get revenge."

Painful images flashed through her mind, tormenting her. She was standing outside of the mutilated car, screaming at the sight of her body and of AJ slumped in his seat, his handsome face dripping with blood…Then she was in a hospital, keeping vigil at AJ's bedside, sobbing and praying that he'd wake up…Finally, she was attending her own funeral, watching a stoic Kurt, hidden behind black sunglasses, balancing Kody in one arm and holding Kyra's hand with the other… Both children were crying and appeared confused…Meanwhile, Kurt stared straight ahead at AJ, who was busy looking at the casket and wiping his eyes…

A gagging noise brought Karen back to the present. Kurt was fading fast. In a few more minutes he would understand why she was so bitter.

She laughed when he tried to pull her hands away from his throat. Didn't he realize that his actions were in vain? Her husband tried to say something that she couldn't quite make out.

"Shut up. No one can save you now."

But she was wrong.

Melinda burst through the door. "Stop it!"

"I'll stop when he's dead!" Karen retorted, wondering what Melinda planned to do about it.

"You're better than this, Karen!"

"What's going on?"

AJ's voice. Oh, God…AJ. Karen suddenly remembered Kurt's promise and reluctantly released her grip. He would be out for blood when he recovered, but, if she killed him, he would become even more violent toward her lover. In a panic, she backed away until she hit a wall, then slid to the floor, weeping. Kurt had a coughing fit and Melinda rushed to his aid while AJ waited uncertainly in the doorway.

"I'm sorry, AJ," Karen sobbed, covering her face. She was too ashamed to look at him. "I'm so sorry."


	9. A Little Strange

"Get help!" Melinda yelled at AJ, but he remained frozen in the doorway.

Kurt shook his head stubbornly, clutching at his throat. His pride wouldn't allow him to accept help from the man who had destroyed his marriage. It was better to die than be in debt to AJ for saving his life.

"But you were nearly _strangled_!" Melinda reminded him. She glanced back at AJ, who still hadn't moved. "Please, AJ…" He seemed to be wrestling with the decision to help Kurt, who understood his dilemma. If something like this had happened to AJ, Kurt wouldn't do anything for him, either.

Again, Kurt shook his head. He grabbed Melinda's arm for emphasis, wishing that his vocal cords would start working again. At the moment, though, he was having enough trouble just breathing.

"All right, all right," AJ grumbled at last. He turned on his heel and marched down the hall, leaving Kurt alone with Melinda and his wife, who was still crying.

"He's not going to die, is he?" Karen asked Melinda, who shook her head.

"No. He'll be okay."

Although Kurt could only hear one side of the conversation, he knew what Karen had asked Melinda. What the hell was _that_ about? The crazy bitch had just tried to kill him and now she was concerned about his welfare?

By the time medical personnel arrived, Kurt was sitting up, breathing easier, and able to speak in simple sentences. Melinda had remained at his side the whole time, but AJ was nowhere to be found, much to Kurt's relief. Just looking at the other man made his blood pressure rise to dangerous levels…He would deal with him later. Apparently, Karen needed a reminder of why she shouldn't mess with him, and he would be more than happy to make an example out of AJ.

"What happened, Mr. Angle?" a paramedic inquired.

He was tempted to blame AJ and get him in some serious trouble, but Melinda had witnessed the whole thing. Kurt was pretty sure she wouldn't bring up ghosts, but he was equally convinced that she would defend AJ against his accusations. She was his new plaything, after all…

"Accident," he answered, after some hesitation. "I…choked."

The paramedic's gaze immediately went to Kurt's throat but he said nothing further on the subject. Kurt wondered if Karen's assault had left behind any bruises. Probably. He'd have to come up with yet another excuse to explain his latest injury.

They stayed with him for a few minutes, checking vitals and keeping an eye on him. When they were satisfied that he was going to survive, the paramedics left—but not before telling Kurt that wrestling in the main event was out of the question.

"We'll see about that," he muttered before turning his attention back to Melinda.

"Are you up to talking?" she asked. "If you're not, I understand—"

"I'm fine." His voice did sound a little strange, though. He grabbed a bottle of water and forced some of the liquid down his throat to soothe it. "Sorry about the other night. I was in a bad mood."

"He was in a bad mood because of what I did to him," Karen pointed out smugly.

"Apology accepted." Melinda managed a subdued smile. "So, do you believe me now?"

Kurt nodded as she helped him onto the sofa and took a seat next to him. "Karen's been haunting me for awhile," he confessed. "I just didn't want to admit it." Looking back, he realized that the harassment had started shortly after that punk AJ got out of the hospital. At first, it was just little things—missing car keys, his alarm clock going off an hour late—but it quickly became clear that Karen's intentions were far more sinister. Then he remembered something else. "Is she still here?"

Melinda stole a glance at the back wall. "No, she's not."

Unbeknownst to Kurt, Karen had no intention of going anywhere.

"Oh, good. I didn't want to hurt her feelings." Karen laughed at that. "I don't understand why she…Well, you know." He gestured to his throat. To be honest, he knew damn well why, but that was between them.

"You two used to be in love," Melinda said softly. "What happened?"

"Kurt became an egomaniac," Karen piped up. "_That's_ what happened."

Here was another chance for Kurt to show off his acting skills. Where was a Hollywood agent when he needed one? Playing the victim came naturally to him. He should have won an award for his performance on the night Karen died. On the inside, he had been ecstatic, but the mask he wore was that of a grieving husband.

He bowed his head in mock shame. "I did my best to balance work and family, but it was difficult, being on the road so much. I tried to make it up to Karen and the kids by buying them everything they could ever want. Stupid, I know, but it was the least I could do."

"Yeah, it was." Karen made a face at her husband. "You don't get it, Kurt! You can't buy love."

"Karen and I tried to compromise," he went on. "She traveled with me and the kids and took part in the show so we could be together. Everything worked out great at first, but then…"

"Then you did the storyline with AJ, right?" Melinda guessed.

"Right." Kurt took another sip of water. "They got a little _too_ into it, if you know what I mean. And, yeah, I was jealous. She spent more time with AJ than with me—her own husband!" Anger surged through his veins as he recalled flirtatious conversations, hugs that lasted too long, and the way Karen's eyes lit up whenever she was around that pathetic loser.

"AJ made me feel alive again for the first time in years," whispered Karen.

"One day, I walked in on them making out. Karen said they were just rehearsing a scene, but I could tell she was lying. It broke my heart." He looked away and made a sniffing noise for effect. "She took the kids and moved out that week."

"I'm sorry. That must have been devastating." Although he knew Melinda was trying to be polite, Kurt got a suspicious vibe from her—probably because of all the crap Karen and AJ had planted in her head.

He nodded again. "I would've done _anything_ to save our family, but Karen refused to come home or even let me see my own children."

"What happened to them after Karen died? Did you get custody?"

"No. They're with her parents." He sighed heavily when in fact he was relieved. Not having the children around freed up time for training and working out. "I wanted to do what was best for Kyra and Kody…I visit whenever I can, though."

"I see."

"Liar!" If looks could kill, Kurt would have joined Karen in death instantly. "You _never_ visit them! Kyra's always asking about you."

"This is so _not_ what I was expecting," Melinda remarked with a nervous laugh, following a minute or two of awkward silence.

"What do you mean?" Kurt was immediately on his guard. He could only imagine what Karen had told Melinda—including the one secret that could destroy everything he'd worked so hard for. But Melinda was a nutcase who could talk to ghosts. What cop in his right mind would believe her?

"Well, I've heard all these stories about you losing your temper, violently attacking AJ, and humiliating Karen…Then you snapped at me when I tried to help you. But you just told me that your wife ran off with her new lover and the kids without even raising your voice. Is it just me, or is that a little strange?" Melinda's dark eyes burned a hole into him, demanding answers.

Kurt met her glare with one of his own. "Oh, I'm pissed off, believe me—but I'm trying to move on." Although no one would have guessed it, Kurt was panicking. So much for pursuing a movie career!

"If you really want to move on, you need to apologize for hurting Karen and forgive her—"

"You're kidding me, right?" Melinda shook her head solemnly, and that's when all the pent-up frustration came spewing out. "This is bullshit! I have nothing to apologize for. _Nothing_! My slut of a wife got what she deserved, if you ask me." He stood up, shaking with rage—and wanting to kick himself for losing control. "Excuse me. I have to talk to Cornette about my match tonight."

"Screw you, too, Kurt!" Karen yelled after him, watching from the doorway as he stormed off.


	10. Crazy

AJ couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong as he made his way back to the locker room area. He hated leaving Melinda alone with Kurt, but she had been so insistent…What if she said something to Kurt that made him turn on her? Melinda was a nice girl who was just trying to help, and he didn't want her to end up in the hospital because of it.

He picked up speed as he got closer to his destination. If anything happened, it would be his fault. I shouldn't have left, he thought, but he knew he would have gotten help eventually. Not because it was the right thing to do, but because keeping Kurt alive meant he could get revenge every time they stepped into the ring together.

Still, although AJ didn't believe that he, personally, was capable of murder, he couldn't blame Karen for trying. Kurt had done everything he possibly could to sabotage Karen's happiness and, in spite of her death, he showed no remorse for his actions…

As AJ turned a corner, he walked right into the man himself. Rage flashed through Kurt's eyes when he realized who he had collided with. AJ took one look at the other wrestler's expression and instinctively stepped back.

"You did this to me, didn't you?" Kurt snarled, slamming AJ into the nearest wall. "You told her to kill me, you son of a bitch!"

"What? No!" AJ protested. He shoved Kurt away and rubbed the back of his head, which had bounced painfully against the wall. "You're crazy."

Kurt returned the favor and shoved him, laughing. "_I'm_ crazy? You're the one who thought Karen actually loved you!" AJ glared at him and opened his mouth to protest, but Kurt wasn't done with the trash talking. "Open your eyes, AJ! She was a whore—"

"Hey! Don't call her that!"

The next thing he knew, AJ had knocked Kurt to the ground and was throwing punches right and left. AJ didn't care what Kurt did to him, but he refused to stand by and allow Karen's memory to be insulted.

Kurt had soon reversed the situation and began pummeling AJ. Pain exploded through his jaw and he tasted the distinctive metallic flavor of blood, but the Prince of Phenomenal fought back with everything he had. The two men rolled across the floor, intent on inflicting as much damage as possible. AJ could hear voices, one female—Melinda's—and several male, yelling at them to stop, but anger kept him from obeying. All that mattered was hurting Kurt.

"Get off of him, Kurt!" Karen shrieked, tugging at his arm. "Leave him alone!"

Security intervened, as did several other wrestlers, and managed to separate the two. Of course, that didn't stop them from trying to go after each other.

"I don't know why she wanted a boy," Kurt sneered at his rival, "when she had a man!"

AJ threw himself at Kurt again, but was pulled away before he could land yet another punch. His whole body ached and trembled with pure adrenalin. However, it made him feel better to see—through the one eye that wasn't swelling shut—that Kurt somehow looked even worse than he had before. The gashes on his cheek, reopened during the fight, dripped blood onto his white T-shirt. His lip had been busted open, too, and his face was already puffy and bruised.

If Kurt looks that bad, how do I look? he wondered.

Another voice, higher pitched and complete with a southern accent, rose above the others and demanded attention.

"What the hell is going on here? I thought we agreed to save the fighting for the ring, boys!"

Jim Cornette. AJ gulped. He was in big trouble now. But he had been defending Karen's honor, and surely Cornette would take that into consideration…

"He hit me first," Kurt said defensively, sounding like a child who had been sent to the principal's office.

"Did not!" Unlike Kurt, AJ realized how silly he sounded and instantly regretted his words. He felt Karen's hand resting on his shoulder while he contemplated his fate. The gesture was familiar and reassuring.

"My office. Now!" Cornette glanced at the security officers. "Gentlemen, will you please escort Mr. Angle and Mr. Jones to make sure they don't pull any more shenanigans?" For the first time, he seemed to notice Melinda. "You're AJ's friend. Ms. Gordon, right?" She nodded. "Would you mind coming with me?"

Karen disappeared, but Melinda agreed and followed the others.

AJ held his head up high as he walked. Part of him wanted to make Karen proud, but another part wanted to remind everyone that he was a better man than Kurt. There was no reason he couldn't do both at the same time.

* * *

Melinda took a seat while AJ and Kurt stood around awaiting the verdict. They would have been seated, too, but Cornette denied them the luxury.

"Quite frankly, neither of you has earned the right to sit down—unless it's in a highchair!" were his exact words.

Instead, Karen made herself comfortable in the chair nearest to AJ.

Cornette opened one of his desk drawers, removed two aspirins, and washed them down with bottled water. "Something tells me I'm gonna get a migraine soon," he explained with a sharp glance at the wrestlers. AJ squirmed a little, but Kurt had his poker face on and didn't even blink.

"Tonight hasn't exactly been great for business, you know. First, I hear that you"—He motioned to Kurt—"nearly choked to death on God knows what, and then you get into a fistfight with AJ. In case you haven't noticed, gentlemen, there's a show in progress right now. Televised or not, we have an obligation to the fans."

AJ's face got warm in a hurry. He had completely forgotten that he had a match tonight.

"So, let's get to the bottom of this and stop wasting time." Cornette nodded at Melinda. "Maybe the only sane person in this room can tell me what _actually_ happened. Ms. Gordon?"

"Well, Kurt and I had been talking, but—"

"Wait a minute. You're friends with AJ, yet you were having a conversation with Kurt Angle of all people?"

When he put it that way, AJ supposed it did sound kind of weird.

Melinda sighed. "It's complicated. Anyway, Kurt left to discuss something with you. A few minutes later, I heard shouting. I ran into the hallway and saw Kurt and AJ fighting. That's when security showed up."

"So you don't know who started it." Cornette sounded disappointed, AJ noted.

"I _told_ you—"

"I heard you the first time, Kurt, but I can't quite believe everything you say." Kurt scowled and crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. "AJ, you're a little more reliable, so why don't you give me your side of the story?"

"Okay…I accidentally bumped into Kurt and he attacked me. Honest!" He took a deep breath as he remembered what Kurt had said about his lover. "Then he insulted Karen, and I…I lost it."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "You're so full of crap it isn't even funny."

"Excuse me, but—" Cornette cut AJ off before he could tell Kurt what a hypocrite he was.

"Here's what I think: Kurt, you need to show some respect for the dead. And AJ, you should try venting your frustrations through poetry or song. But, if you two so desire to bash each others' brains in, at least have the decency to do it in the ring." Cornette cleared his throat. "I'll be more than happy to set up a match for the next pay-per-view if you can stay out of backstage brawls from now on."

"Make it a steel cage match," Kurt insisted, with just a hint of a smirk.

"Fine. A steel cage match. That okay with you, AJ?"

AJ noticed Melinda shooting a horrified look at what appeared to be an empty chair. Karen had been there the whole time, he realized, suddenly guilt-stricken. After everything she'd been through, he couldn't bear the thought of her witnessing such a brutal match—especially since this was the real thing. But if he won, and tore Kurt from limb to limb…Wouldn't that make it all worth it in the end?

"AJ?"

He swallowed hard. "I'm in." There was too much at stake to back out now. But, next to attending Karen's funeral, it would be the most difficult thing he'd ever done.


	11. Another Perspective

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I changed a few things from the original Chapter 7, which was redone shortly after I posted the original. Officer Martin Moore has been renamed Officer John Martin and he's not hospitalized with an injury. Melinda simply didn't hear back from him yet.

"How was your day?"

Melinda groaned. "Don't ask." She was back in her hotel room, on the phone with her husband and trying to keep her mind from wandering down a very dark path. Having witnessed Kurt's violent side, especially towards AJ, her view of him had changed somewhat.

"That bad, huh?" Jim replied sympathetically.

"Well, for one thing, Karen tried to strangle her husband."

Jim went silent for a moment. "Wow. I'd hate to get on her bad side."

"As if _that_ weren't bad enough, Kurt and AJ got into a fight backstage, and now they're going to be wrestling in a cage match at the next pay-per-view. The problem is, neither one plans to play by the rules."

"Maybe I should come down there with some of the guys. It sounds like they might need extra paramedics."

She bit her lip. "That's what I'm afraid of…Hold on. Other line." Melinda switched over, her curiosity piqued. Who would be calling after nine o'clock at night? "Hello?"

"May I speak to Melinda Gordon, please?"

"Speaking."

"This is Officer John Martin of the Miami Police Department. I'm sorry for returning your call so late, but I'm a very busy man these days."

"Thanks for calling. Can you hold on just a second?"

"Sure."

Melinda told Jim that she had an important call and promised to talk to him later, then returned to her conversation with Officer Martin.

"Sorry about that."

"It's all right. Now, what can I help you with—or what can you help me with?"

"This is going to sound weird, but…I can talk to ghosts, and I recently spoke to a woman named Karen Angle. Brunette, red evening gown…I heard that you investigated her death."

"Yes, I did," he answered slowly. "I remember her."

"I understand if you're skeptical, but I can give you the name of a detective I've worked with—"

"That won't be necessary." Then, after some hesitation, "I have to admit, this is a bit…unusual, but I'll try to be open-minded. Go on."

Melinda was grateful for that. "Karen told me she was murdered by her husband, and she thinks AJ—Allen Jones—might have been a target, too. But then I talked to Officer Vasquez, and he said the crash was an accident—"

"I'm not surprised."

"What do you mean?"

Officer Martin sighed. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but my partner—now former partner—let his personal life cloud his judgment. Tony used to keep a picture of his wife and daughter on his desk. Then, a few weeks before Mrs. Angle died, he replaced it with a photo of his daughter. I asked him if he was having marital troubles. He got angry and said his wife had betrayed him but he didn't want to talk about it."

"She cheated on him?" Melinda had been lying on the bed, but the startling news caused her to sit bolt upright. She felt like she'd just been punched in the stomach.

"Let me put it this way: Tony's best friend stopped coming to our weekly poker games around that time. I never saw the guy again. I don't think that's a coincidence."

"Oh, my God…" She didn't want to believe her ears. Everything she thought she knew had been thrown out in a matter of minutes. If Officer Vasquez had let a personal agenda get in the way of his investigation, then Kurt could very well be a murderer...

"At first, Tony handled the scene as he would any other. Given the weather conditions, however, we both assumed it was probably just an accident. Besides, the car was destroyed and the rain made it difficult to notice any fluid leakage."

"What changed your mind?"

"Mr. Angle. Call it intuition, but I was suspicious of him from the start. Once he opened up about the affair, I saw a motive. I think Tony was sympathetic towards him. He probably saw himself in Mr. Angle's position and understood what he was going through emotionally. If Tony thought the man was guilty, he wouldn't admit it. Perhaps he even considered Mrs. Angle's death a justifiable homicide.

"Either way, he wrote it off as an accident. To this day, Tony insists there's nothing suspicious about what happened to Karen Angle and Allen Jones. I believe a good look at the evidence might prove otherwise."

"Didn't you bring up your concerns to him? Or even to someone with more authority?"

"Of course I did, but no one took me seriously. You have to realize that Tony is a respected twenty-year veteran with a clean record, and I've only been on the force a few years. Everyone else thought he knew what he was doing."

"There has to be _some_ way you can get the case reopened."

"I've been pushing for that and demanding new investigators ever since it was shelved. The good news is, my boss just retired and the new chief doesn't have any loyalty to Tony. I promise I'll make it a priority to discuss the case with him."

"Thank you. Karen will really appreciate this—and so will AJ."

Melinda sighed as she got off the phone. "I'm not saying you're right, Karen," she murmured, "but you might be. I should have listened to you before."

But she was listening now, and so were the authorities.


	12. Hopeless

"Hello?" Melinda cautiously entered the bathroom and had a look around. None of the stalls were occupied, but there was a very distressed ghost pacing back and forth in front of the sinks, crying. "Karen?"

Karen stopped pacing and faced her. "I'm worried about AJ," she confessed. "About the cage match. If anything happens to him…"

"I've seen him wrestle," Melinda told her, trying to sound optimistic but certainly not feeling that way. "He's really good."

"But this isn't about wrestling. It's about revenge and spilling blood—as much of it as possible." Karen ran a hand through her hair. "And it's all my fault."

"Because he's trying to defend your honor?" Melinda suspected that AJ had gotten into a lot of _real_ fights over Karen, especially with Kurt.

She managed a tiny smile in spite of her misery. "He always was a gentleman." But then the smile disappeared and tears continued to run down her face. "Remember what Kurt told me after I attacked him in his hotel room? He vowed to torture AJ if I didn't stop haunting him. Then I tried to strangle him, and now…" Karen shook her head. "God, what if putting AJ in the hospital isn't enough for him?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll talk to AJ," offered Melinda sympathetically. She tried to put herself in Karen's place and shuddered at the thought of watching the man she loved being beaten to a bloody pulp. "Maybe I can change his mind."

"Maybe." Karen sounded skeptical, and rightfully so. From what Melinda gathered, AJ had spent months trying to get revenge on Kurt but had never quite succeeded. This was his best chance to face Kurt one-on-one without outside interference—unless, of course, Karen intervened on his behalf.

When Melinda thought it was safe to change the subject, she said, "I think you could use some good news right about now."

"Yeah, I could." Karen cocked her head at the other brunette curiously. "So, what's the good news?"

"I talked to Officer Vasquez's former partner, John Martin. To make a long story short, Vasquez made some bad decisions, Martin fought him all the way, and your case has now been reopened with new investigators." Getting that second call from Officer Martin had made her day, so she could only imagine how Karen felt about the news.

Karen's jaw dropped in astonishment. "You're kidding!"

"No." Melinda smiled. "I'm not."

"But how did you…"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that they'll find out the truth—and, if you _were_ murdered, your killer will be brought to justice."

She grimaced. "You mean Kurt."

"I'm sure he'll be number one on the list of suspects. The husband usually is in situations like these." Melinda didn't want to think of Kurt as a cold-blooded killer just yet. Innocent until proven guilty, as the saying went, but, the more she learned, the less innocent he sounded.

"They should know that AJ was supposed to die in that crash. I won't have Kurt go down for my murder alone. He needs to be charged with attempted murder, too."

"I mentioned the possibility to Officer Martin," she answered cautiously.

"I know you don't believe me now, but you will one day. Just wait."

Karen departed before Melinda had a chance to ask if she wanted to go into the Light yet, but the question was pointless. She knew that Karen wouldn't be ready for awhile—if ever.

* * *

"So…This is it. Your last day with TNA." The Phenomenal One sulkily took a seat next to Melinda backstage.

She laughed. "You make it sound like I work for the company."

AJ's face lit up. "Hey, that's a great idea! You could interview people or something. I would ask you to be my valet, but that's Karen's job, you know."

"Yes, I know." Although Karen still accompanied AJ to the ring, now she only got involved in matches whenever he was in harm's way. "It sounds like fun, but I can't. I have to get back to my husband and to my store." She had mixed feelings about returning to New York. Seeing Jim and her friends would be wonderful, and she missed the antiques business, but she had hoped Karen would cross over before she left.

"But…But how will I talk to Karen with you gone?"

Melinda's heart broke at his crestfallen tone. "You may not hear her respond, AJ, but she'll listen to you."

He sighed in defeat. "Well, at least come back for _Hard Justice_—that's the pay-per-view. I'll even buy your ticket and pay for airfare if money is an issue. Please?" He pouted and gave her a puppy dog look with sad blue eyes. She suspected he'd given that same look to Karen before, and that Karen had had an equally hard time turning him down.

"Have you considered asking Jim Cornette to call off the match?"

AJ blinked. "Why?" He watched her expression for a few seconds before his features softened in understanding. "Oh…Because of Karen."

"She's really upset, AJ. She doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"And I don't want to hurt her," he said quietly, "but I want to send Kurt to Hell and back for how he treated Karen. Besides, once Jim Cornette makes up his mind, that's it. There's no arguing with him."

"Then at least tell him that Kurt's been playing dirty! He could threaten to, I don't know, suspend him if he gets too rough."

He laughed and shook his head. "Sure, if Kurt wasn't one of the biggest stars in TNA! The rules don't always apply to him."

"So there's nothing you can do about it." Melinda wondered if the other TNA wrestlers felt they had no power against Jim Cornette. Well, _she_ didn't work for him, so he couldn't intimidate _her_!

"Nope. Well, except hope for the best and take Advil before the match." He flashed her one of those dazzling grins. "Both of you need to relax. I'm gonna kick Kurt's butt at _Hard Justice_!" He abruptly changed gears and became more serious. "You know, there's something I've been wondering…"

"Yes?"

"Well, you told me you were here to help Karen, but help her with what?"

Melinda weighed her words carefully. She remembered AJ saying that he couldn't go on without Karen. With all the stress he and Karen were under, it wasn't a good time to bring up inflammatory subjects like moving on, closure, and murder.

"Pass messages to the living," she finally answered. "And, even though I'm leaving for awhile, I promise I'll be back. My work isn't done."

For that reason alone, the pay-per-view might be a blessing in disguise.

* * *

"Mr. Cornette?" Melinda knocked on the door, waited for a response, then let herself in. The past several hours had flown by, and it was about time to head home—but she wasn't leaving until she tried to reason with him.

"Hello, Ms. Gordon," he responded. "This is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you today?" Cornette raised both eyebrows at her. "Are you looking for a job, by any chance?"

"No. No, thank you. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that cage match…"

He sighed. "If you're worried about AJ, you're worrying for nothing. Kurt may be a hothead, but he's a professional in the ring."

"No offense, Mr. Cornette, but I'm not sure you know what's going on—"

"If you're referring to Karen and AJ's affair, then, yeah, I know exactly what's going on. I also know that Karen's death only added fuel to the fire. But, I assure you, neither man is stupid enough to put his career in jeopardy over personal issues."

Officer Vasquez was, Melinda thought cynically.

Cornette suddenly appeared suspicious. "Hold on a second…AJ didn't send you in here to fight his battles for him, did he?"

She quickly shook her head. "I just wanted to know if there was any chance of reversing your decision."

That seemed to amuse him. "I hate to disappoint you, Ms. Gordon, but what's done is done. The creative department is plotting a storyline to lead up to the match as we speak. Unless, God forbid, something happens to one or both of these guys before the big day, everything will go as planned."

"But—"

"Everything will go as planned," he repeated.

"Thanks for your time," she murmured, eyes downcast. AJ was right about Cornette: He thought he had the situation under control and no one could convince him otherwise.

Unfortunately, Jim Cornette would soon realize just how wrong he was…


	13. A Sign of Things to Come?

"Come on, AJ!" Melinda shouted from the front row. Thousands of fans were screaming at the top of their lungs, alternately cheering AJ on and taunting Kurt.

AJ had completely dominated the match for the first few minutes. He had punched, kicked, and slammed Kurt to the mat repeatedly, much to the delight of a certain earthbound spirit and the fans, too. Karen beamed and applauded from ringside. She hadn't had to get involved once since the bell rang.

Then, without warning, the dynamics changed. It happened so quickly that not even Karen had time to react. Kurt maneuvered AJ into an Olympic Slam, then threw him—headfirst—against the cage. He grinned with sadistic satisfaction as he rubbed his opponent's face against the metal, which sliced across the other man's forehead. A feral scream made its way past Karen's lips.

Melinda's stomach twisted into a knot as she got an up close and personal look at the blood pouring from AJ's forehead. For a few intense seconds, Kurt locked eyes with her. She knew then that he hated her—the meddling outsider—almost as much as he hated AJ and Karen. But she was untouchable, as was Karen, so he punished them by brutalizing AJ.

Kurt flung a bloody AJ to the mat and stood over him, apparently trying to decide what to do next.

"Get away from him, you monster!" Karen had reappeared inside the ring and placed herself between AJ and Kurt, as she had done with Tomko the first time Melinda saw her. Kurt merely walked right through her as if she wasn't even there. He pulled a dazed AJ to his feet and threw him against the cage a second time.

"Stop it! Stop hurting him!" Karen gave Kurt a hard shove, but her efforts were in vain: He barely moved an inch. The astonished ghost stared at Melinda, who could only offer a stunned expression of her own. "_Do_ something!" she begged tearfully.

But what could Melinda do? If she tried to create a diversion, security would remove her from the building—and AJ would still be in danger. Instead, she swallowed the lump in her throat and clung to the guardrail so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Meanwhile, Kurt continued his onslaught, returning the punches and kicks that AJ had given him earlier. He reminded Melinda of a cat toying with a mouse before moving in for the kill.

Karen hadn't given up on rescuing AJ, but nothing she did had any effect on Kurt. He was so focused on destroying the enemy that he didn't seem to feel her slaps, shoves, and pulls.

"Enough!" Melinda yelled at the bald man, but her decision would come back to haunt her—and AJ, who was trying to block the blows raining down on him. Kurt responded by smashing his fist into AJ's skull over and over again. The poor guy didn't stand a chance. Eventually, he stopped struggling and went limp.

Melinda put a hand to her mouth, choking back a sob in the process. It sickened her to see Kurt parading around the ring, looking as proud as if he had won the Olympic gold medal for a second time.

A hysterical Karen knelt beside her boyfriend and held his face in her hands. "Please, AJ, wake up," she pleaded. When he didn't respond, she lightly slapped his cheek. "Wake up, damn it! Oh, God, please…_AJ_! Somebody help him!"

Paramedics rushed to the ring and into the cage, as did Security, who were there to prevent Kurt from inflicting any more damage upon the helpless wrestler. Kurt didn't put up a fight, though, as Melinda had expected. Instead, he marched through the cage door with a big smirk on his face. She saw him turn around and mouth "That was for you, Karen!" in AJ's general direction before exiting through the curtains.

Reluctantly, Karen stepped back so the paramedics could do their job. A hush fell over the crowd. They weren't sure whether this was supposed to be part of the show or if something had gone terribly wrong.

"He's gone," one of the paramedics stated after checking AJ's pulse, confirming what Melinda already knew. She had seen his ghost looking down on himself in confusion.

Karen threw herself into AJ's arms, weeping so hard that her entire body shook. He held her tightly and tried to console her the best he could.

Melinda let the tears roll down her face as she watched the scene unfold. Karen was right after all: Kurt really was a murderer, and now he had finished what he'd started…

AJ glanced at her uncertainly. "Am I dead?" he asked, wide-eyed.

"_No_!" She sat bolt upright, drenched in a cold sweat and gasping for air. Light immediately flooded the room and her husband pulled her into his arms. It took her a moment to realize that she was at home and safe in bed.

"It's okay, honey,' Jim said soothingly. "It was just a nightmare."

Melinda shook her head frantically, trying to clear her mind of the horrifying images. "You don't understand, Jim. I saw AJ's _ghost_! Kurt killed him…He beat him to death in the ring…"

"Shh. I promise you, Melinda, nothing like that is going to happen."

"But it felt so _real_..." she moaned. So real, in fact, that she was tempted to call AJ to check on him. She probably would have done it, too, but it was four in the morning and she'd feel guilty for awakening him.

"I know—but it wasn't."

In two more days, she would be sitting in that front row seat, as helpless as she had been in her dreams…

It was a nightmare, Melinda reminded herself as her head hit the pillow. That's all. A nightmare. Not a premonition.

Right?


	14. No Escape

"Good luck in your match against Kurt Angle, AJ."

"Yeah, good luck—not that you'll need it."

"Uh…Thanks, ladies." His face got hot and, he was sure, had just turned bright red. Lauren Williams and Jamie Szantyr—better known as Angelina Love and Velvet Sky, respectively—weren't much different from the characters they portrayed, and that made AJ uncomfortable.

"You know, your muscles are going to be _really_ sore tonight. How about we give you a nice, relaxing massage after the main event?" Lauren purred. She reached out and stroked AJ's bare chest, making him jump back like he'd been struck by lightning.

"For you, we'll make an exception to the 'look but don't touch' rule," Jamie chimed in, batting her eyelashes.

"Leave me alone! I'm not that kind of guy!" AJ blurted out. Why did they have to bother him now, right before his big match? He had enough to worry about without fending off advances from less-than-honorable women!

That really seemed to push Lauren's buttons. "What the hell? You'll screw a married woman, but you won't—Oh!"

Karen apparently had had enough, because Lauren fell to the floor as if she'd been pushed and landed on her behind. Seconds later, Jamie yelped and put a hand to her cheek in shock. Only Karen's trademark slap could have that effect on someone.

The Beautiful People spun on their heels and ran down the hall as fast as they could. Neither one looked back even once.

"Thanks, Karen," AJ whispered with a grin. He felt her squeeze his hand in response.

"Kurt paid them to distract you—to throw you off your game," she told him. "Focus, AJ. Concentrate on survival."

He heard his music start and his heartbeat sped up. "It's time." Before he threw the hood of his vest over his head and stepped through the curtains, AJ turned to his right. "I'm gonna make you proud, Karen."

"You always do."

They walked down the ramp together. Kurt, who had come out first, paced around the ring impatiently. Two sets of blue eyes met, both filled with hatred. AJ knew that Kurt wanted nothing more than to tear his enemy from limb to limb.

The feeling was mutual.

AJ caught a glimpse of Melinda as he approached the cage. She smiled at him, but it was a nervous smile. He supposed she thought he'd be leaving the building on a stretcher.

Kurt lit into the Prince of Phenomenal the second he set foot in the ring, before he even had a chance to remove his vest. AJ retaliated, throwing punches until his opponent had no choice to back off.

It was surreal, wrestling Kurt again. They were both going through the motions, but the pain was ten times worse. According to the script, AJ was supposed to emerge from the cage victorious, and, although Kurt agreed to go along with it, he clearly was unhappy with the ending.

Now he had another reason to work stiff—not that he needed one.

A vicious kick connected with AJ's ribs, followed by two more. He sucked in his breath and pulled himself up using the ropes. Tonight was supposed to be _his_ night to shine, and, to do that, he had to stay off the mat. That was Angle's territory. AJ lunged for Kurt, knocking him down, and landed several hard rights to the other man's jaw.

The match quickly disintegrated into a brawl, with some high-flying and technical moves thrown in for balance. Kurt was the first one to get busted open. He had tried to slam AJ against the cage, but, at the last minute, AJ reversed the situation and flung him into the unforgiving structure instead. Dazed, the Olympic gold medalist staggered to his feet, but blood from a nasty gash obscured his vision.

AJ hit him with the infamous Pelé kick, putting the former champion down. He was a little sore, although things were otherwise going according to plan. But for how much longer?

He hopped onto the top turnbuckle, went for a splash, and succeeded. But, as AJ stood up, Kurt caught hold of his ankle and dragged him to the mat so that he could apply the dreaded Ankle Lock.

The Phenomenal One gritted his teeth to keep from screaming in agony. That's what Kurt wanted…No, what Kurt wanted was to break his ankle.

Just when AJ was convinced that Kurt was about to achieve that goal, Kurt released his grip. AJ looked over his shoulder to see him rubbing his eyes and hear him curse under his breath. The announcers chalked it up to the blood, but Karen had actually raked her estranged husband's eyes from behind. She returned to her ringside position as if nothing had happened, although it was just a matter of time before she had to get involved again.

A minute later, after exchanging blows with Kurt, AJ was on the receiving end of three suplexes. The last suplex resulted in him getting tossed into the bars. His head and neck collided painfully with the metal and he landed awkwardly at Kurt's feet, crumpled up like the discarded gift wrap from an opened Christmas present.

"Get up!" Kurt snarled in his ear, kicking his nemesis in the face for good measure. "I'm not done with you yet!"

The world was spinning and AJ briefly blacked out. When he regained consciousness, he wondered if he might have a concussion. He touched the back of his head and his hand came away sticky with blood.

Referee Earl Hebner was asking him about his condition when an impatient Kurt interrupted. He grabbed his opponent by his sore neck and pulled him to his knees. Suddenly, AJ found himself gasping for air. Kurt had used AJ's own necklace as a weapon, choking him with it.

Was this in the script? AJ asked himself, tugging at his necklace in an attempt to break the cord. He didn't think so…

Karen saved the day yet again, pulling Kurt away from her boyfriend before he could suffocate him. AJ slumped to the mat and desperately gulped in some oxygen.

"You okay?" Hebner asked, blocking Kurt from getting closer as he spoke to AJ.

"Y-Yeah," he sputtered, nodding.

The match continued once AJ was able to stand and breathe normally.

It took him awhile to regain momentum, giving Kurt time to Angle Slam AJ off the top rope, rub his face into the steel—cutting him open—and stomp on him in the corner.

AJ was hurt pretty badly by that point, but a familiar, repetitive thumping noise motivated him to keep going. He recognized it as the sound of Karen pounding on the ring apron, the way all valets did when their man was in trouble. That gave him the strength he needed.

Kurt looked surprised by how quickly AJ rebounded. He looked even more surprised when AJ tackled him, throwing lightning quick punches. This wasn't about a storyline or a match or even AJ Styles. It was about Allen Jones seeking justice for the woman he loved.

The fans at the Sovereign Bank Arena roared in approval. AJ knew that Karen and Melinda were cheering him on, too.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kurt spat at him, trying to defend himself from AJ's fists. "This is against the rules!"

"Since when do you care about rules?" AJ hissed. He picked Kurt up by the straps on his singlet and hurled him against the cage wall. AJ knew he was supposed to start climbing out of the cage, but he could care less about winning or following the script. He limped over to Kurt and put _him_ in the Ankle Lock for a change.

Kurt wriggled out of the move by rolling over and kicking AJ in the chest. He hit and kicked AJ until he stopped fighting back, then dragged his lifeless body over to the cage door.

Through the haze of pain, AJ saw a confused Earl Hebner open the door for Kurt, who marched through it arrogantly. He also saw Kurt's cruel grin when he grabbed the handle, and he knew then what his fate was. But there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it…

"Don't you _dare_!" Karen cried, swinging the door back at Kurt before it smashed into AJ's head. Instead, it banged into Kurt's face, causing him to shout, grab his now-bloody nose, and fall backwards.

AJ was vaguely aware of Karen gently caressing his face with her fingertips and the arrival of Jay Reso and Terry Gerin, Rhino's real life alter ego.

"Tell Karen not to worry about me," he murmured incoherently. "I'm gonna be just fine."

His friends exchanged worried glances, but Jay nodded solemnly. "Sure, buddy. We can do that."

Jay's words were the last thing AJ heard before the noise faded out and everything went dark.


	15. Into the Light

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is the last chapter. Because I worked within the _Ghost Whisperer_ format, there won't be a sequel. Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. I really appreciate it. :)

"How are you feeling?"

AJ shrugged in response to Melinda's inquiry. "I've been better…and I've been worse." His head was bandaged up, but he appeared to be resting comfortably. The hospital staff was obviously taking good care of him.

"He has a concussion, two broken ribs, and stitches in his forehead," Karen quietly informed Melinda. She was seated in a chair next to the bed, watching over him as she had after the crash.

"There's something I need to talk to you about—both of you." Melinda pulled the door closed behind her for privacy and sat in the chair opposite Karen. "Kurt's been arrested."

Karen nodded smugly. "I _told_ you he was guilty."

"Arrested?" echoed a stunned AJ. "Why?"

"Because he murdered Karen. He attempted to kill you, too. Here." She handed AJ the article she had clipped from a local newspaper. "Kurt knew you two would be traveling together, and he drained the brake fluid to make it look like an accident."

"Everybody said it was an accident," AJ murmured once he had finished reading. "_Everybody_. I believed them, too. How could I be so stupid?"

"You're not stupid," Melinda and Karen said at the exact same time.

"Only Karen knew the truth," Melinda added gently. "She convinced me to talk to the police, and I persuaded them to reopen the investigation."

It took a few minutes for AJ's glazed eyes to return to normal and for him to recover from the shock.

"Is that what Karen needed your help with? Bringing Kurt to justice?"

"Among other things." Melinda glanced at Karen, whose expression had turned sour. She knew what was coming, and she didn't like it one bit.

"I really appreciate what you did for me." Karen's icy tone matched the piercing glare she directed at Melinda. "However, I won't be needing your services anymore, so you can leave now."

Melinda didn't move a muscle, nor did she respond. Instead, she focused her attention on AJ. The majority of ghosts agreed to cross over with a good enough reason, and she had a suggestion that would please everyone.

"When a person dies, they're supposed to go into the Light. But sometimes they have unfinished business and choose to stay earthbound."

AJ frowned. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Actually, it is. Earthbound spirits are stuck in the past, watching life go on around them and unable to communicate with their loved ones."

"You've got a point," Karen reluctantly conceded. She studied her lover's face with great sadness and reached out to lay her hand on top of his.

"I don't want Karen to be miserable." AJ's voice was so soft that Melinda barely heard him. He avoided meeting her eyes and gazed out the window, biting his lip.

"She doesn't have to be." Melinda took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "If Karen doesn't cross over, things will go back to the way they were when I leave. You won't be able to understand what she's saying."

"Stop it! Can't you see you're upsetting him?" a distressed Karen pleaded, leaping out of her chair.

"But there _is_ a way you can talk to each other without me. Isn't that what you both want?"

Her words seemed to calm Karen somewhat—even intrigue her. "What are you talking about?"

AJ was equally confused. "I-I don't understand…"

Melinda looked to Karen appealingly. "Spirits who go into the Light can come to their loved ones in dreams. You'll be able to visit AJ whenever you want, as well as your friends and family members. You can talk to and hold them again."

"Even my children?"

"Even your children."

"That sounds wonderful," AJ sighed.

Karen was almost entirely convinced, but Melinda sensed some remaining doubt. "I can still watch over them from the Light, right?"

"Yes, you can," Melinda assured her.

"Good. I'd hate to miss out on anything important." Karen surprised Melinda with a fleeting grin, although her tone betrayed her inner grief. "I'll go, but I have a few things to say to AJ first."

"Of course."

"Tell him to be there for Kyra and Kody and tell him to share stories about me. They should know how much I love them." Her delicate features twisted in anguish. "I need AJ to protect them from the truth—at least until they're old enough to handle it. I don't want them to grow up bitter and hateful because their father is a monster."

"Karen wants you to be a part of her children's lives and to share memories with them," Melinda translated. "She also wants you to help them understand what happened to her, but not until they're older."

He nodded somberly. "I promise. I would do _anything_ for you, Karen." AJ suddenly blinked back tears. "You know that."

"I know." She glanced at Melinda again. "AJ was there for me when I needed a friend, but what we had was so much more than that. It was true love. He made me feel beautiful and special. And, even though we didn't have much time together, every second of that time was precious."

"She says thank you for being there for her. Karen really loves you, AJ, and she's grateful for the time she had with you." Melinda had a hard time passing along the message without crying. No matter how many times she did it, it would always affect her emotionally.

"I'll never forget you, Karen. You changed my life forever."

Karen smiled at him, then moved towards the window, staring at something that neither AJ nor Melinda could see. The bright sunlight streaming through the half-open blinds was an appropriate metaphor for the Light, however. She put a hand to her mouth and looked at Melinda, amazed.

"I can see the Light," she whispered excitedly. "It's so beautiful…"

"She sees the Light," Melinda told AJ.

"You've suffered so much, sweetheart. You deserve to be at peace," he said softly, his gaze following Melinda's.

The ghost walked over to the bed and stood next to him. Her eyes were shiny with tears, too, but she was beaming.

"Thank you," she said to Melinda, then leaned down and kissed AJ tenderly on the lips. "I'll see you again someday. I love you, AJ."

"I love you, too," he murmured, as if he had heard her, and brushed his fingers across his lips in awe.

Karen turned her attention back to Melinda. "Tell him that he really is phenomenal."

Melinda nodded and managed a smile of her own. "I will.."

With a new spring in her step, Karen gracefully walked—more like floated, actually—in the direction of the window until she disappeared within the Light.

Melinda wiped at her tear-streaked face. "She's gone."

"No." AJ shook his head, but, to Melinda's amazement, he looked happy. "Not really. She'll always be here as long as someone loves and remembers her."

She reached out and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "Karen was right about you. You really are phenomenal."

* * *

_To My #2 Fan, Melinda,_

_Thanks for everything!_

_Allen "AJ Styles" Jones_

Melinda looked over the autographed eight-by-ten one more time and smiled as she placed it back on her dresser. Although her calling was always heartwrenching and sometimes even dangerous, being able to bring closure to both the dead and the living was immensely satisfying.

"Hey, Melinda! There's a strange—_very_ strange—man here to see you!" Jim yelled, cutting into her thoughts.

She made her way down the staircase and opened the front door. Professor Rick Payne waited for her on the doorstep. He gave a little wave and smiled sheepishly.

"Hello, Melinda. Hello, Melinda's husband." The professor entered before either had a chance to welcome him inside. "I know I'm supposed to be the expert in this department, but has Hell officially frozen over? Because I could've sworn you—you, of all people—invited me over to your house to watch wrestling. And, well, it's Thursday night and here I am."

"I think the temperature dropped a few degrees," Jim muttered dryly.

Melinda laughed. "Come on. The show's about to start in a few minutes." In her line of work, stranger things happened all the time.

THE END


End file.
